James Mcmullan

Like his hero Toulouse-Lautrec, New York illustrator James McMullan understands the power of a telling gesture, the charisma of the human figure and the peculiar magnetism of troubled characters. He is, in short, perfectly suited for designing theater posters.

Like his hero Toulouse-Lautrec, New York illustrator James McMullan understands the power of a telling gesture, the charisma of the human figure and the peculiar magnetism of troubled characters. He is, in short, perfectly suited for designing theater posters.

It was gratifying to read Jonathan Gold's commemorative essay about his mother ("A Good Teacher Passes," On the Town, Sept. 18). I knew Judy Gold when I taught at Dorsey High School. She was the best librarian I ever worked with in my 20-plus years of teaching English. It wasn't uncommon to visit Dorsey's library at any time during the school day, especially at lunch time, and see a cluster of her students, from all cultural groups, magnetized by her special talent for finding the right book, knowing the small details of a puzzling assignment or just being there to listen.

Through June 17: "From the Sun King to the Royal Twilight: Painting in Eighteenth-Century France From the Musee de Picardie, Amiens," Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Through June 24: "Private Passions: Outstanding Collections in Los Angeles," Craft and Folk Art Museum. Through July 1: "Telematic Connections: The Virtual Embrace," a traveling show at the Art Center College of Design, traces the history of artists' use of technological methods for their creative purposes.

By the end of September, people driving through Westwood will be greeted by banners bearing the image of a mysterious gentleman peering from behind a curtain, beckoning passersby to the Geffen Playhouse. The man is Joseph Cotten, and no, he's not being brought back from the dead for a stage adaptation of "The Third Man."